53. And the spirit of Moses says further, Jacob was a plain man, and dwelt in tents, and Rebecca loved Jacob (Gen. xxv. 27, 28). Reason understands this figure [as] of a woman-like, motherly, natural love; but the spirit has not written this figure for that, for Rebecca pressed earnestly, that Jacob might receive the blessing of Abraham and Isaac. She loved Jacob as to his original, which although she might not so well understand externally and rationally, yet the spirit in the Covenant understood it in her, which moved her also to bear such a love towards Jacob; for there was also a conjunction between the mother and son.
54. For Rebecca was shut up and barren; but when Isaac did bring his prayer and earnest desire to God for her, then the ens in the Covenant gave itself into his faith in his desire, and so, forth in the opening of Rebecca into the conception; for herewith also the barren or shut-up mother was opened, so that her fruit, viz. Jacob, and she came into one degree of nature, and received one and the same love from Isaac's desire: for the ens of faith was conceived in the tincture of Venus in Rebecca. And as it is said of Mary, Christ's mother after the humanity, that she was blessed among all women, so also Rebecca did here receive the blessing from the divine ens; indeed not in the high degree as Mary, but yet according to the property of the Covenant. And hence it was that the love of the Covenant was manifest in her (as the ens of faith was also [manifest] in Jacob, wherein the love of God burned), so that she loved Jacob more than Esau. For the love-desire in the mother and son was from one original, and therefore her desire inclined itself more towards Jacob than Esau; and also because that the heavenly holy matrix [which had] disappeared in Adam, was moved in her image [which was] disappeared or dead as to the heavenly world's essence, which matrix afterwards was wholly opened in Mary. Now this matrix did long to receive the ens of Christ which was manifest in Jacob, which first was to be effected in Mary; and yet the spirit in the Covenant did take its love-sport and delight herewith [in Rebecca] .
55. But that the spirit of Moses says, Jacob was a plain [honest] man, and remained in tents, he understands thereby that the true Jacob in the ens of faith remained in the tents of the outward nature; that the ens of faith remained in his nature, which is only a tent thereto; that he did not give himself wholly to the tent, as Adam did, but he remained therein, in his Principle, till God, in the fullness of time, brought him forth in Christ's humanity through the tents of nature.
The Fifty-Third Chapter
How Esau contemned his Birthright,
and sold it for a Mess of Lentil- Pottage:
What we are to understand by this Figure
1. WHEN the spirit of Moses had set down the birth of Esau and Jacob, he proceeds to relate presently how the natural Adamical man would but little or nothing regard this high gift in the Covenant, and would seek only after the belly-filling of the earthly life, as Esau, who gave his birthright for pottage of lentil, that he might but serve his belly.
The figure of Moses stands thus:
2. And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he was faint.
And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray you, with that same red
53. And the spirit of Moses says further, Jacob was a plain man, and dwelt in tents, and Rebecca loved Jacob (Gen. xxv. 27, 28). Reason understands this figure [as] of a woman-like, motherly, natural love; but the spirit has not written this figure for that, for Rebecca pressed earnestly, that Jacob might receive the blessing of Abraham and Isaac. She loved Jacob as to his original, which although she might not so well understand externally and rationally, yet the spirit in the Covenant understood it in her, which moved her also to bear such a love towards Jacob; for there was also a conjunction between the mother and son.
54. For Rebecca was shut up and barren; but when Isaac did bring his prayer and earnest desire to God for her, then the ens in the Covenant gave itself into his faith in his desire, and so, forth in the opening of Rebecca into the conception; for herewith also the barren or shut-up mother was opened, so that her fruit, viz. Jacob, and she came into one degree of nature, and received one and the same love from Isaac's desire: for the ens of faith was conceived in the tincture of Venus in Rebecca. And as it is said of Mary, Christ's mother after the humanity, that she was blessed among all women, so also Rebecca did here receive the blessing from the divine ens; indeed not in the high degree as Mary, but yet according to the property of the Covenant. And hence it was that the love of the Covenant was manifest in her (as the ens of faith was also [manifest] in Jacob, wherein the love of God burned), so that she loved Jacob more than Esau. For the love-desire in the mother and son was from one original, and therefore her desire inclined itself more towards Jacob than Esau; and also because that the heavenly holy matrix [which had] disappeared in Adam, was moved in her image [which was] disappeared or dead as to the heavenly world's essence, which matrix afterwards was wholly opened in Mary. Now this matrix did long to receive the ens of Christ which was manifest in Jacob, which first was to be effected in Mary; and yet the spirit in the Covenant did take its love-sport and delight herewith [in Rebecca] .
55. But that the spirit of Moses says, Jacob was a plain [honest] man, and remained in tents, he understands thereby that the true Jacob in the ens of faith remained in the tents of the outward nature; that the ens of faith remained in his nature, which is only a tent thereto; that he did not give himself wholly to the tent, as Adam did, but he remained therein, in his Principle, till God, in the fullness of time, brought him forth in Christ's humanity through the tents of nature.
The Fifty-Third Chapter
How Esau contemned his Birthright,
and sold it for a Mess of Lentil- Pottage:
What we are to understand by this Figure
1. WHEN the spirit of Moses had set down the birth of Esau and Jacob, he proceeds to relate presently how the natural Adamical man would but little or nothing regard this high gift in the Covenant, and would seek only after the belly-filling of the earthly life, as Esau, who gave his birthright for pottage of lentil, that he might but serve his belly.
The figure of Moses stands thus:
2. And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he was faint.
And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray you, with that same red
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